Chapter 3

Zachary's hands trembled with excitement.

No matter how much Madison resembled Madelyn, the similarities were limited to her hands and figure. Her face wasn't all that similar.

The moment he saw the photo the private investigator sent, he lost control. The woman who rescued him looked so much like Madelyn. It was as if they had been carved from the same mold.

"Where is she?" Zachary asked excitedly.

The face he had dreamed of day and night was right before his eyes. He couldn't wait to see her in person.

The investigator hesitated. "We also found out that she left the country this morning."

Almost without hesitation, Zachary made up his mind. "Book me a flight to wherever she is."

He had been afraid that the woman he thought he saw before passing out was nothing more than a hallucination.

But now that he had seen the photo, he was certain he had found someone who resembled Madelyn more than Madison did.

If that was the case, there was no reason to stay by Madison's side any longer.

"What flight?"

Madison's voice sounded behind him. "Why are you booking a ticket?"

He hurriedly locked his phone. "Nothing. Shouldn't you be keeping Mr. Pearson company?"

When he looked up, his hair was still wet, the damp strands clinging to his forehead. Seeing him in such a miserable state ruffled something in Madison's heart. She almost felt sorry for him.

"You seem awfully concerned about just anybody," she spat out, her face suddenly cold.

Zachary had no idea what she was getting at with her sarcastic remark. He was about to leave when Madison said, "You don't need to go to the orchestra tomorrow. Stay home and rest."

He nodded and left.

The next day, however, Zachary still showed up at the orchestra. He was there to tender his resignation. Now that he had decided to leave, there was no reason to keep working as Madison's personal assistant.

When he walked in, he saw Madison holding Elroy's hand. They were openly affectionate, making no effort to hide their intimacy from the rest of the orchestra.

She even announced in front of everyone, "Hey, guys. Just an announcement. Starting today, Elroy and I are dating."

The hall plunged into silence. Countless eyes landed on Zachary—some with pity, others with mockery.

When Madison spotted him, a dark scowl replaced her cheerful look. She pulled Zachary aside and snapped, "I thought I told you not to come today!"

Only then did he realize she hadn't given him the day off because she had noticed he was sick. She was worried he would show up and ruin the occasion.

Swallowing the bitterness in his heart, Zachary piped up. "There's something I want to tell you."

"Whatever it is, handle it yourself," she snapped. "You should've stayed home when I asked you to. Did you come here just to cause trouble?"

Zachary was about to tell her that wasn't the case when Elroy walked over. He slipped his arm through Madison's, his eyes brimming with provocation.

"You're here. Perfect. I was planning to take everyone out for karaoke. Wanna join us?"

Zachary didn't want to go, so he politely declined.

Elroy grabbed him by the arm, hostility evident on his face. "Mr. Suffold, I've heard from the others here that you had feelings for Mads. But she's into me, and I'm her actual boyfriend.

"You seem awfully bothered by the two of us being together. Don't tell me you still have feelings for her."

His tone was unpleasant, but in all fairness, he was Madison's boyfriend. He had every right to stake his claim.

The people around them began to feel sorry for Zachary. They were just about to step in to ease the tension when Zachary calmly spoke up.

"The truth is, there's been a huge misunderstanding. I don't have feelings for Madison."